For your convenience, we have included a non-discountable and non-commissionable amount of USD $128 which covers all donations and tips to your local Cuba guide, Local Specialists, Cultural Insights, hotel and restaurant staff, with the exception of your Trafalgar Travel Director and Driver.

Cuba Departure Tax ($25 USD and subject to change due to government regulations) is not included in the above prices.

Guaranteed Room Share and Triple rooms are not available on this itinerary.

Health Insurance: The Cuban government requires all visitors to have health insurance that covers the territory of Cuba; for U.S. citizens, this means local Cuban health insurance.

Please note: Due to the nature of the destination and this itinerary, hotels and inclusions are subject to change.

Tour Participation: United States law requires that all participants in this itinerary adhere to a schedule of people-to-people activities at all times during the trip. Our Cuba itinerary has been designed around a full-time, people-to-people educational exchange schedule of activities, designed to foster meaningful interactions between Trafalgar guests and individuals in Cuba. Due to special visitation requirements for Cuba, all participants, regardless of nationality, will be required to complete and sign an affidavit confirming that they are travelling under a people-to-people license and are aware of these travel rules.

Hidden Journey itineraries have a maximum of 26 guests.

Visa Requirement: Cuba requires that all visiting travellers have a Cuban Tourist Card (Visa) to enter the country.

Full passport details required by the final payment due date.

Prices above do not include any air travel.

Please note: This journey requires walking on uneven surfaces, climbing stairs, and participaton in a full-time people-to-people schedule of activities crafted exclusively for Trafalgar guests. Our itinerary and people-to-people activities have been planned well in advance and may therefore be subject to change due to circumstances beyond our control; it is best enjoyed by the experienced traveller in good health who can take such variations in stride.

Trip prices are per person, land only, based on double occupancy and reflect applicable discount. Discounts are subject to availability and may be withdrawn at any time without notice.

Trip prices are correct at the time of the products going live, however are subject to confirmation at the time of booking. All trip information is correct at time of trips going live, however are subject to change - please confirm all details at time of booking.

Double-share option not available for trips to South America, Costa Rica, Mexico, Alaska, Hawaii or for any holiday & cruise combination, or in Asia and Eastern Mediterranean except Highlights of Turkey (without cruise) & Best of Turkey. It's also not available on Small Group trips. Guided Vacations included in this restriction are Newfoundland and Labrador (DNLA) as well as Panama, the Canal & Beyond (LPAN).

For trips that are part of our Guaranteed Room Share, please note that there is a no smoking policy in all shared rooms. Solo travel is not accepted on guided Family Experiences holidays unless traveling as part of a family group.

Travel to Europe often requires an overnight flight. Please arrange your flights to arrive on or before day 1.

About this trip

Venture down the colourful, cobblestone streets and past grandiose colonial façades, tracing the history and traditions of a cosmopolitan island nation from the comfort of a 1950's Oldtimer. Discover a time when pillaging pirates roamed these waters and a revolution stopped the clocks, retaining Cuba's intoxicating vintage charm.

Trip type:
Hidden Journey

Trip code:
DCUB

8 Nights

accommodation

20 Meals

8 full breakfasts

7 lunches
(including Be My Guest)

5 dinners

On-trip Transport

All transport shown.

Highlights

What's Included

Sightseeing Highlights

City tour in Camagüey, Havana

Scenic drive to Cayo Santa Maria

View Camagüey Cathedral, Plaza de los Trabajadores

Visit the site of the most decisive battle of the Cuban Revolution, Remedios, Trinidad, Cienfuegos, Bay of Pigs Museum, Casa de Enrique

What's Included

Dining

8 full breakfasts

7 lunches
(including Be My Guest)

5 dinners

What's Included

Travel Highlights

Audio Headsets for flexible sightseeing

Daily breakfast and an average of 50% of evening meals

Luxury air-conditioned coach with WiFi in most countries or alternative transportation (such as rail journeys)

Welcome to Cuba. Upon arrival at Camaguey International Airport, you will be met by your Travel Director and your bilingual local guide and taken to your hotel in the heart of the city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. At 6 p.m. gather with your fellow travellers for a Welcome Reception served at a local restaurant where you will have your first taste of Cuban cuisine.

Hotel

Encanto El Marques and Hotel Encato La Sevillana

Meals

Welcome Reception

Hotel

Encanto El Marques and Hotel Encato La Sevillana

Meals

Welcome Reception

Day 1

Day 2

Camagüey SightseeingDay 2 - Camagüey Sightseeing

Start the day with a city exploration by bicitaxi. Stop by the main Cathedral and pass the Plaza de los Trabajadores. Later, your local guide will introduce you to the Casanova family. Explore their studio and pottery workshop and watch them make small versions of tinajones (earthen clay pots), a Cultural Insight. After lunch, visit the stars of the Camagua dance company. They will play Afro-Cuban beats and demonstrate moves that have been handed down for generations, a Cultural Insight. Stop at the Carsueños community project, a Cultural Insight, where you will interact with a local woman whose sewing skills produce charming woven dolls reflecting different Cuban customs and are given to children in local hospitals. Meet leather sculptor Pepe Gutierrez who creates some of the most impressive leather art pieces by using a unique technique that few others use, a Cultural Insight. Stop at the workshop and gallery of Lorenzo Linares whose landscape paintings capture the majesty of Cuba's classic scenes are a Cultural Insight. The rest of your day is free.

Today's scenic drive to Cayo Santa Mario takes you across the plains of this Caribbean island. Arrive in the town of Sancti Spiritus for an included lunch. Depart for Santa Clara, famous for being the site of Che Guevarra's most decisive battle against the Fulgencio Batista government during the Cuban Revolution. Che's remains were brought from Bolivia to Santa Clara, and you'll have the chance to visit his mausoleum and learn about his life and death. Cross a scenic causeway over azure blue waters before arriving at your beachside resort.

Head for the peaceful, colonial-style town of Remedios. Visit the community project of Todo Sobre Remedios and artist Roaidi Cartaya, whose efforts aim to preserve this small settlement's history and soul, including the annual parrandas floats and parade, a Cultural Insight you will learn about. Lunch will be served in Caibarien. Return to your hotel where the afternoon is free.

Meals

Full Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Meals

Full Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Day 4

Day 5

Cayo Santa Maria – TrinidadDay 5 - Cayo Santa Maria – Trinidad

Today's journey takes you to Trinidad, another UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most picturesque stops yet. Here your local guide will take you through the old cobblestone alleyways and streets lined with musicians, boutiques, family-owned shops and art galleries. Visit the gallery of artist Lazaro Nieblas who creates realistic portraits using reclaimed wood panels from Trinidad's classic shutters and doors, a Cultural Insight. Have a fusion-style lunch at a local restaurant before visiting the Yemaya Temple which is used for the practice of the Santeria religion. A Santeria priest will explain the core components of this unique religion, a Cultural Insight.
The rest of the day is free for you to explore before dinner is served at a local restaurant.

Begin your day with a stroll through the historic town of Cienfuegos, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Enter the Thomas Terry Theater which recounts a marvelous era of stage production, and wander along the pedestrian Bulevar leading toward the Bay of Cienfuegos. Travel to the Bay of Pigs, the site of the USA-Cuban conflict in 1961. Visit the Bay of Pigs Museum to learn about how the ramifications of this historical event continue to influence the state of Cuba today. Lunch will be served at Casa de Enrique where you'll get to know the family who owns it. Tonight, dinner is served in a restored mansion.

Hotel

Iberostar Parque Central

Meals

Full Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Hotel

Iberostar Parque Central

Meals

Full Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Day 6

Day 7

Havana SightseeingDay 7 - Havana Sightseeing

Enjoy a panoramic tour of Havana today. Start with a visit to a local tobacco factory to learn how the famous Cuban cigars are made, a Cultural Insight. Explore Old Havana, named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982. Enjoy a walking tour with a local architect, a Local Specialist. Pass by some of the iconic plazas and architectural facades. This afternoon, you will be greeted by Miguel Rojas and his wife Yamila Lopez for a Be My Guest lunch in their beautiful home with a roof top garden where they grow their own vegetables. Visit the San Jose craft market where you can browse hundreds of stalls. Back at the hotel, enjoy the rest of the evening on your own.

Meals

Full Breakfast

Be My Guest Dining

Meals

Full Breakfast

Be My Guest Dining

Day 7

Day 8

Havana SightseeingDay 8 - Havana Sightseeing

In the morning, visit Miramar 601 gallery and meet with talents Alejandro Guanche and Aramis Santos who will showcase their contemporary works, a Cultural Insight, and tell you what life is like as an artist in modern Havana. Stop at La Lucecita, a Cultural Insight that inspires local children through music and dance. Enjoy an included lunch while a Cuban baseball player shares his stories and experiences from playing this popular sport at home and abroad a Cultural Insight. After, enjoy some free time at your hotel. Later, you're in for an exciting Cultural Insight as you take a spin in one of the ubiquitous vintage American cars you've been eyeing during your journey across Cuba. You'll be dropped off for your Farewell Dinner where you can toast to a wonderful Cuban experience.

Meals

Full Breakfast

Lunch

Farewell Dinner

Meals

Full Breakfast

Lunch

Farewell Dinner

Day 8

Day 9

Depart HavanaDay 9 - Depart Havana

It's time to bid farewell to Cuba and your newfound friends as you are taken to Havana International Airport.

Meals

Full Breakfast

Meals

Full Breakfast

Day 9

Available Departures

Please see http://www.trafalgar.com:80/usa/tours/from-cuban-cigars-to-american-cars for the latest discounts & departure information.

The Trafalgar Difference

Be My Guest
Meet Miguel Rojas and his wife Yamila Lopez for lunch in their beautiful home with a roof top garden where they grow their own vegetables

Cultural Insights
Learn about the production process for tinajones, earthen clay pots. Visit members of the Camagua dance company who are striving to uphold Cuba's musical traditions. Stop at the Carsueños community project to meet a local woman who creates woven dolls especially for children in local hospitals. Pay a visit to two local artists, Pepe Gutierrez and Lorenzo Linares whose art reflects important Cuban traditions. Meet artist Roaidi Cartaya who works tirelessly to preserve Remedios's history and soul. Visit the gallery of reclaimed wood artist Lazaro Nieblas. In Trinidad, meet a Santeria priest who will explain the beliefs and traditions of this unique religion. Learn all about how the famous Cuban cigars are made at a local tobacco factory. Witness the contemporary artwork of talents Alejandro Guanche and Aramis Santos. Stop at La Lucecita, a local project that inspires through music and dance. Meet a Cuban baseball player who shares what it's like to play the sport in his home country and abroad. Ride in a vintage automobile, an icon of Cuban culture

The Trafalgar Experience

Simply Authentic

Enjoy

Enjoy the wonder of travel, crisscrossing the globe through the seasons. On effortless adventures in breathtaking new horizons, forge lifelong friendships and memories. Our lovingly crafted itineraries are a fascinating mosaic of cultures, flavours, festivals and local stories. We’re with you all the way, guiding you and ensuring you experience the real thing: the sheer love of travel, entirely hassle-free.

Simply Authentic

Love... Travel

"Is simply the best way to position what our guests love to experience and what we love to deliver" - Gavin Tollman CEO

Simply Authentic

Meet

Meet warm-hearted locals and like-minded travellers. Along your journey of discovery, stop to share stories and flavours with local farmers, chefs and winemakers. Pause to admire the handicrafts and rich traditions of amazing artisans. Explore the essence of Europe through captivating accounts shared by expert historians and savvy local guides.

Simply Authentic

Taste

Travelling with your tastebuds, treating them to new flavours, spices and textures along the way. From the very first breakfast to the last nightcap, travelling through Europe indulges your palate, with every meal an opportunity to discover regional fare. Savour each new flavour, try the local tipple and take home fresh culinary inspiration. Let us share our love for food and hospitality with you.

Simply Authentic

Unwind

Once you've packed your suitcase, we take care of the rest, removing all your concerns so that you can be secure in the knowledge that an award-winning global company with an impeccable reputation has taken care of every little detail. We arrange everything you'll need along your journey - meals, accommodation and travel logistics, because we are with you all the way. Travel the world with peace of mind, knowing you’re in the hands of Trafalgar.